Game timer



April 1937- J. H. FLEER 2,076,453

GAME TIMER Filed Feb. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l VISITORS HUME Z'UARTERS MINUTES TD'PLAY April 6, 1937. J. H. FLEER 53 GAME TIMER Filed Feb. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to score boards and particularly to a score board for use in the game of basket-ball.

The general object of the invention is to provide a score board of a simple character which is remotely controlled and which will indicate the score for a home team or a visiting team, which will indicate the quarters of the game, that is, will indicate which quarter of the game is being played, and which will have a circular dial indicating minutes to play for any particular quarter, the indicating figures both as regards the score indicators and the quarter indicator and the min utes to play indicator being illuminated by electric lamps disposed behind glass panes carrying the indicating numerals.

A further object is to provide means whereby,

the lamps behind the indicating numerals may be switched on or off by an attendant so that v every phase of the game may be indicated on the score board and so that this score board may be controlled from a remote point.

Other objects will appear in the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a face view of the score board partly course of the broken away. Figure la is a face view of the controlling switch board therefor.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic face view of one of the glass or other covers for a compartment.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the switch board connections to the lights, duplicate connections being omitted.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a clock mechanism and a clock controlled switch.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary face view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a face view of the switch.

Referring to these drawings, [0 designates the score board itself which may be made of any suitable material and behind the score board are arranged a series of compartments in which lamps are disposed. For indicating the score of the home team or the visiting team, I provide two sets of indicating numerals arranged in two vertical series. Thus in the drawing under the head of Visitors, I have shown a vertical series of compartments designated ll, each compartment being closed by a glass pane l2 having thereon a numeral. There are nine of these compartments in the first row and the numerals read from 1 to 9. The second row under the head of Visitors has ten compartments reading from 1 to 0. A lamp I3 is disposed within each of these compartments and thus it will be seen that when the proper lamps are illuminated the score may be given I and that by properly combining the lamps any number of the score can be indicated from 1 to 99.

m A second set of compartments H is disposed under the word Home and these compartments are also provided with the lamps l3 and with the transparent or translucent panes l2 upon which numerals are disposed reading in the first column from 1 to 9 and in the second column from 1 to 0.

In the upper portion of the score board 10 there are disposed four compartments l4 arranged in a transverse seriesand each having a covering glass ill, the glass carrying the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 for each of these compartments. Above these compartments the glass contains the word Quarters which is constantly illuminated. The same is true with regard to the word Visitors and Home, that is, that these words are constantly illuminated by lamps disposed behind these words. However, I do not wish to.be limited to this as these words may be printed upon the board.

Disposed below the series of numerals designating quarters is a dial which indicates the minutes to play. This dial is composed of a series of compartments l5 each of which is covered by a cover plate of glass or translucent material and these cover plates carry the numerals from 1 to 10 or preferably from 1 to 16. Within each of these compartments [5 is disposed an electric lamp Hi. It will'be seen that as these lamps are serially illuminated the numerals 16, 15, etc. will be displayed For the purpose of energizing the lamps of the set A, the lamps of the set E, the lamps of the set indicating quarters and designated C, or the lamps of the dial indicating the minutes to play, I provide a controlling board designated generally ll. .For the purpose of illuminating any of the lamps in the first column of the set A, I pro vide a series of contact points [8 arranged in a semi-circle and equal in number to the lamps of this first column of set A and coacting with these lamps is a manually rotatable brush or switch 59 having a pointer which as it rotates is brought consecutively into electrical engagement with any one of the contacts I8. For the purpose of serial- 1y energizing any of the lamps of the second column of set A, I provide the contacts 26 arranged in a semi-circle concentric to a rotatable switch 2| having a finger like the switch l9 which,

or pair of lamps in the first and second columns of set'B may be energized. For the purpose of energizing any one of the lamps in group C to illuminate thefigures showing the quarters, I provide a switch 26 coacting with four contacts 21, one for each of the lamps in the set C, and

for energizing the lamps [6 within the clock dial, I provide sixteen contacts 28 and a rotatable switch 29 which when shifted, electrically connects the contacts with the switch and energizes the lamp. While this switch may be a clock operated switch, as will be later described, it is obvious that this switch might be rotated by hand and accomplish the same result of serially illuminating the lamps to show the gradually decreasing period of time within which play may be continued. I have shown the dial D divided into sixteen parts. This permits the use of this score board to show a 15 min. half as is customary in college games and also to show a 16 min. half and an 8 min. quarter for high school games. In Figure 3, I have illustrated the means whereby the switches and the contact studs may be electrically connected to the lamps. In this figure, 30 and 3i designate the wires leading from-a source of current.

The wire 30 is electrically connected to the switches l9 and 2| and these switches are connected respectively by wires 32 .to the series of lamps in set A, these lamps in turn being connected to a return wire 33. A like connection is provided for the lamps of the set B, controlled by the switches 24 and 25. The wires 34 lead from the contacts 21 to the several lamps of the series C and these lamps are each connected to the return wire 33 in an obvious manner.

If the several lamps i8 01' the clock dial are tobe serially illuminated to indicate the minutes to play then the operator, as before stated, rotates the switch 29. There are sixteen of these contact points 28 connected to the respective lamps l6 and to the'return wire in an obvious manner and same operator turns this switch the lamps are serially illuminated to show that there are 16 min. to play; 15 min. to play; 14 min. to play, etc. There is an intermediate contact 4'1 which is connected in circuit with a bell Iii or'other signalling device so that when the 16 min. of play have expired, the bell will be rung or other signal given. Where a clock is used, the operator need not actuate the switch 29 but the clock is provided with a hand 35 which is the hand of an electric clock, the motor designated generally 35 being at the central portion of the dial, this motor being connected by the wires 31 and 38 to a source of energy. Where a clock operated hand 35 is used rotated around the dial by means of a clock motor, a master switch is provided illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 4 and designated 39, wherestop the time clock until he gets the signal to start it again.

In Figures 4, and 6, I have illustrated a clock controlled means for successively energizing the lamps of the dial D. In this construction the motor operated hand 35 once during each revolution strikes the ratchet lever 40 which carries a pawl 4| operating on a ratchet wheel 42. The

movement'of the hand 35 shifts the ratchet lever 40 and rotates the ratchet wheel 42 which is connected to a shaft 43 which carries a switch 44, as shown in Figure 6, moving over the contacts 41 which are arranged in exactly the same manner as the contacts 28 previously referred to. As soon as the switch arm H moves oif of one contact, the lamp l6 corresponding thereto is deenergized and the next succeeding lamp energized. Thus the'operation of the clock hand 35 causes the automatic successive energizing of the lamps IS in the several compartments of the clock dial and the final energizing of the signal 16*. Of course, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 6, the switch arm is to be connected in circuit with the source oi! energy. If there is time to be taken out, the switch 39 is operated to stop the clock and as soon as the time out has expired, the switch is operated to again start the clock.

While in Figure 3, I have illustrated the wires leading from the control board I! as being separated from each other, they will be, or course, in the form of a cable and the control board Il may be disposed at any desired distance from the score board so that the score board may be placed, if desired, on some public building while the game is being played in some hall. It is obvious also that a number of score boards might be used in conjunction with the one controlling means. By placing the lamps l3 and IS in compartments, I illuminate distinctly one particular figure without illuminating adjacent figures, the adjacent figures remaining unilluminated and practically black unless the lamps thereof are energized. Preferably the numerals will be cut-out numerals, that is, the figures or numerals will be transparent whilethe ground upon which the numerals are placed is opaque.

While I have illustrated the precise arrangement of lamps and indicators coacting therewith, I do not wish to be limited to this precise arrangement as many changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A playing time indicator including a series of lamps arranged around a center and forming a circular dial, a controlling switch for the lamps including a series or contacts arranged in a circle and equal in number to the lamps, a rotatable switch movable successively over the contacts and connected to a source of current, each lamp being connected on one side to a corresponding contact and on the other side to the source of current, means for shifting said switch arm including an electric motor connected in circuit with a source of current, a manually operable switch in said circuit, means operated by the motor for intermittently shifting said switch arm successively over the several contacts, comprising a shaft on which said arm is mounted, a ratchet wheel thereon, a lever mounted on the shaft and carrying a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel, and a hand operatively connected to and rotatable by the motor in a plane at right angles to the plane of said pawl carrying lever and engaging intermittently with said lever to shift it to thereby carry the switch arm from one contact to another at each rotation of the motor.

J OHN H. FLEER. 

